Photo by: Hoppenworld
These “Privateer Showcase” interviews presented by Race Tech Suspension at MotoXAddicts tell the stories of the guys in the trenches week in and week out just trying to chase their dream of racing professional Motocross and Supercross. While the riders at the front of the pack get the money, the T.V. time and the glory that goes with it, there’s a huge pack of kids just hoping to become regulars in the main events. We will talk to them and get their stories about trying to break through to that next level with little or no help.
This week’s “Privateer Showcase” is more of a “Race Rewind” interview than the usual story that focuses on chasing the dream, but with Traders Racing/Kawasaki’s Nick Gaines starting to creep towards that top ten, we thought we would hit him up at Red Bud. Nick is a former amateur motocross prodigy that’s trying to make a name for himself in the pro ranks, but after scoring points in three of the 2015 Eastern Regional 250SX main events, an injury ended his freshman Supercross season early.
Nick returned from injury at the Hangtown National, and while it took the #95 five rounds to get into the points, since the first moto at round five, he has scored points in four out of the last six motos. At Budds Creek, Nick showed everyone his speed and potential with a 12th overall and is looking to do more damage as the series moves forward. Nick was not able to back that 12th up with a better ride at Red Bud, but if you ever saw this kid from Georgia in his Super-Mini days, you know he will be inside the top ten before long.
After Nick’s 22nd overall, we caught up with him to talk about his day at Red Bud, his 12th at Budds Creek and his season to date as a whole. You can read what the Traders Racing/Kawasaki rider from Ringgold, Georgia had to say below.
Nick, today at Red Bud was a little bit of a rough day for you, but you did score a point with a 23-20 scorecard. How was it out there?
Yeah, definitely a rough day. In practice I struggled both times. It was just the track is really different and it’s my first time here. Obviously the track is really rough and really soft, but it’s also really tacky. I struggled in practice big time. In the first moto, I got an awful start, was in—they said—fourth from last. I tried to ride good but still didn’t ride like myself and got 23rd that moto. In the second moto, I got a decent start and then passed a few guys and just tried to ride solid, and I finished 20th. I’m still not happy with my ride, but it could always be worse, and I’m glad the team and everybody sticks behind me. We’re just going to work hard these next two weeks and get ready for Millville.
I say a little bit of a rough day, but it’s really not too bad. We just know that you have so much potential, especially after seeing you finish 12th overall last weekend. Was your confidence at an all-time high after Budds Creek?
Yeah, definitely, coming after that 12th overall at Buds Creek. I mean, it was an awesome feeling coming here, and yeah, I thought it was going to be a great day, but it just turned out not to be. The confidence was definitely there today. I thought I was going to do better because of the weekend before, but I didn’t, so we’ll just work hard and just try to get some more top twelves, because that was awesome.
This is your first time racing at Red Bud. How hard was it to adjust to new tracks with just two fifteen-minute qualifying sessions to adapt?
Yeah, it’s really hard to adapt. The track changes just about every single lap. The ruts out there are just gnarly and the breaking bumps are tough. I mean, it’s a really fun track. I enjoyed it, but I just didn’t drive like myself. I believe I had 35th gate pick for the first moto, so I was sixth from the outside. It just started bad for me on that one.
What did you think of the track when you first got here? It looked like they had it super watered down. Did it get better throughout the day?
Yeah, it definitely got better. In practice, if you even dabbed your foot kind of in a rut, it was going to slow you down for the whole next straight away. It got a lot better when it started getting roughened in. Obviously the breaking bumps got really big and they were all turned out great. It hardened up and the track was fun, just couldn’t ride it like I could. When I got here I thought this track just looks awesome, all the hills and how good the dirt looks. I love this track.
We know you’re coming off of an injury. Was it still your wrist or hand from Supercross? You haven’t really been back too much in the outdoors. How’s the injury healing up?
The injury was healing up good. I broke my wrist at the Indy Supercross and then started riding about the time of the Vegas Supercross [May 2015]. I was riding at home and I flew to California with the Trader’s guys. I was riding really well in California, riding at like Pala and all those fun tracks. Actually, I was at the 2016 Thor photoshoot and right when I landed like I hit a rock and it just slammed my back. So that was the reason why I missed the first three [Outdoor Nationals], because I couldn’t even move my neck. I was going to the chiropractor every day, the massage therapist. I just couldn’t get it to move, no strength in my left shoulder at all. So I tried Hangtown, but the pain was just way too bad so we sat out and then we came back at Muddy Creek. Obviously taking off that much time wasn’t good for me. I just tried to ride myself back into shape, and Budds Creek was actually the first time like I really felt like almost 100% again. Just going to keep working hard and try to get to where I want to be.
We got Millville coming up. Have you been to that track? If so, what are your thoughts on Millville?
I actually haven’t been to Millville. It’s funny, I haven’t been to any of the pro nationals. Well, I mean, I’ve been to the ones that I’ve already done in the pro ranks, but when I was an amateur I never really went to any pro races besides Muddy Creek, of course. All the tracks are really fun. They’re really deep and they get rough, so I watched Millville a lot on TV and it looks like a really fun track, looks a little sandy. I”ll try to ride some sand this week and next weekend and come in prepared for Millville.
Thanks for your time, Nick. We appreciate it, and good luck next week.
Thank you.
